Piston meter



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

P. BALL. PISTON METER.

Patented Dec. 17, 1889.

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N. PETERS EhnwLilhognphur. Washington, a. c.

(No Model.)

- 2 Shets-Sheet 2. P.. BALL.

PISTON METER.

Patented Dec. 17,1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IIIINEIIAS BALL, OF \VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION VATER METER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PISTON METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,308, dated December 17, 1889.

Application filed July 5, 1889. Serial No. 316,528. (No model.)

companying drawings, is a specification sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of meters in which a plurality of longitudinallyreciprocating pistons are employed for determining the measurement of the volume of liquid that passes through and operates the meter; and my present invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the valves and their operating-levers, and in the combination of the same with the pistons and registering mechanism, wherein lOlJELtlVGlY- oscillating valves are employed, the valve for one piston being made positively dependent upon the movement of the other piston by means of crossed crank-levers or valve-actuating arms that engage with the pistons, as more fully explained in the following detailed description, the particular subject-mat ter claimed being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal section showing the construction and arrangement of the oscillating valves. 2 is a vertical section at line as Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the valve-seats. F1 2 t is a plan of the yoke at the top of the valves. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the gearing for transmitting movement from the valve to the registering-train. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through one of the cylinders and pistons, the upper portions being through the center of the valve; and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal inverted section through the cylinders at line y y, looking upward, showing the action of the crossed actuating arms or cranks by which the valves are moved, the pistons being indicated by the dot and dash lines.

Referring to parts, A denotes the bodyframe to which the cylinder heads or cups A are connected by bolts arranged as indicated or in other suitable manner. The frame has necks or bosses CL and CL for the connection of the supply and discharge pipes. Either end Ct or a may be connected with the supply-pipe, as the mechanism will operate with equal facility in either direction. In this description the flow is assumed to be in the direction indicated by the arrows.

B B indicate pistons, of well-known form, arranged within the cylinders and supported and guided by packing-rings G, that are confined in recesses at the junction of the frame and cylinder-heads, as illustrated. These rings G separate the interior space into a central chamber A and end chambers A A The pistons are moved by excess of pressure in either of said end chambers.

0 indicates a valve-seat plate secured to the top of the cylinders and having formed therein conical seats 0' for the valves D D, which control the flow to the respective pistons. Each of these seats is provided with four ports e c and c e, from which passages E and E lead direct to the respective ends of the cylinders and into the chambers A and A, outside the packing-rings G. (See dotted lines, Fig. 6.)

indicates a cap-plate which is arranged over the valves, and within which is a chamber C that communicates with the supplypipe through the passage a and with the interior of the cylinders through the valves.

The valves D are made in the form indicated, each being provided. with eight ports in its conoidal shell, four of which open into the interior and communicate through the hollow valve spindle D with the central chamber A while the other four open to the top of the valve directly into the chamber C. These valves are fitted to the conical seat to have oscillative action, and are provided with cranks or actuating-arms F, rigidly attached to the inner ends of the valves and having their offsetting ends f disposed at positions to be engaged by the shoulders or oltsetting portions b and b of the central reduced part 13 of the piston, so that the reciprocative action of the respective pistons will move the end f of the arm F, and thereby oscillate the valve to a sufficient degree to shift the ports of the valve across the ports of the valve-seat, thus bringing alternately into coinciding position the ports for directing the flow and pressure of liquid to the opposite ends of the pistons. The arms F are curved and offset, so as to cross each other in the manner indicated in Figs. 2 and 7, and are disposed so that the right-hand piston will operate the left-hand valve, and vice versa, The tops of the valves are provided with spindles or journals cl, and are supported by a yoke II, which sustains the valves central and holds them from rising from their seats. Said yoke is firmly secured to the valve-seat plate by screws at h.

In Fig. 1 I have shown one of the valvesD in horizontal section, to illustrate the arrangement of the separating-partitions within the valve. The valve has an oscillating movement of one-eighth rotation, which movement shifts the ports of the valve in relation to the ports of its seat, so that the passages E and E to the respective end chambers A and A of the cylinder are alternately opened into the chamber A and the chamber C thus allowing the water or liquid to flow from the chamber C to the chamber at one end of the piston, while the water or liquid from the chamber at the opposite end of the piston flows into the interior chamber A and thence out at the discharge a, which connects direct with said interior chamber.

In the operation the water or liquid entering the chamber A (see Fig. 0) moves the piston B in the direction indicated by the arrow. The piston engages the head f of the arm F and moves it over to the position indicated by dotted lines at lVhen the piston has reached its limit of movement, this operation of the arm has opened the valve of the opposite piston B, which latter in like manner engages the arm F of the other valve and moves it forward to the position indicated at f Fig. 7. This shifts the position of the valve-ports, so as to givea reverse flow into the chamber A, when the piston B is forced back to its original position, thus shiftin g the arm and valve to give reverse action of the otherpiston 3. In like manner both pistons are operated back and forth alternately, the valve action being such that the motion of the piston is arrested by reversing the flow before the piston reaches the end of the cylinder, thereby cushioning the piston by the medium which flows through the meter without requiring a metal stop for arresting the piston movement. The motion of the valve D is transmitted to a registering mechanism K, of ordinary well-known construction, by means of a spindle I, coupled to the valve-axle, which spindle passes through the cap-plate C and has an arm J fixed thereon that swings back and forth with the oscillative movement of the valve. Said arm carries on its end a pawl J, that engages the ratchet-wheel M. The wheel M runs loose on the spindle I, and has gearteeth or a pinion n, that meshes with and operates the driving-gear P of the register. A

pawl N, pivoted on a suitable stationary post, prevents rotation of the ratchet-wheel M and its pinion when the arm J, with pawl J, moves in backward direction, but which permits revolution when the arm moves in the opposite direction, thus imparting a continuous intermittent rotative movement to the gear P and registering-train as the valve D is oscillated.

Among the ad vantages incident to my invention may be noticed the following: The oscillating valves are easier made, more durable and perfect in operation than slide-valves, and are less liable to get out of order. The valves are operated by crank movement positively from the opposite piston, the cranks crossing each other and giving increased leverage for moving the valve. The passages are direct from the ports to the piston-chambers. This avoids complication in the passages, and the passages are less liable to be come clogged with mud or solid substances.

Another advantage is that the meter will work in either direction, and may be connected without reference to its position.

I am aware that it has long been a wellknown practice in various styles of pistonmeters to operate the valve that controls the flow of liquid to one piston by the movement of the other piston; but the mechanism for eifecting such result is in all instances of which I have knowledge essentially different from that embraced in my present invention.

I claim as my invention, to be secured by Letters Patent 1. In a liquid-meter, the combination of the pistons mounted for reciprocative action in the chambered body or casing, the circular oscillating valves fitted in the valve-seat plate and having central hollow stems that extend into the central chamber, the valveactuating arms respectively fixed to said valve-stems curved and crossed within said chamber, as shown, and having their outer ends fitted for engagement with shoulders on the opposite piston, and a register-actuating connection coupled with the top axle of one of said valves, the said parts being arranged and operating substantially as described.

2. In a liquid-meter, the combination of a pair of longitudinally-movable centrally-reduced hollow pistons supported by annular bearing-ring within a chambered case, their ends extending into separate chambers, each piston provided with a rotatively-oscillating valve havinga series of ports for respectively controlling the passages that lead direct to the chambers at the respective ends of the piston, and a central hollow axle that is fitted in the valve-seat plate and projects into the main chamber, with curved valve-actuating cranks fixed to the respective valve-axles within the main chamber between the re spective pistons and disposed to work across each other with their ends adjacent to the central reduced portion of the pistons for ento the upper and the lower ends of the valve,

and the valve-actuating arms fixed to the inner ends of said valves and curved and crossed to respectively engage with shoulders on the opposite piston, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. A liquid-meter composed of the bodyframe having the chamber A with inlet and outlet passages, the cap-plate having chamber 0 the cylinder ends with chambers A and A fixed to said body, the valve-seat plate 0, having valve-seats with ports 6 e and passages E E to the respective cylinder ends,

the oscillating valves D D, valve-actuating arms F, pistons B B, having shoulders l) b, and the packing-ring Gr, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In combination with the valve-seat plate having the conical valve-seats and the conical valves D, provided at their top ends with journals d and at their lower ends with the valve-actuating arms, the yoke H, embracing said journals and secured to the plate,

substantially as and for the purpose set forth. itness my hand this 27th day of J une, A. D. 1889.

PHINEHAS BALL.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. H. BURLEIGH, ELLA P. BLENUs. 

